Natalie
by RgjIrishdancr
Summary: What starts as a simple babysitting job after a cookie-cutter case turns confusing as the team learns the complexities of a naval officer's daughter. Pasts will come into play, and the team will learn not only about Natalie but also about each other. No advertent shipping, but overtones of Neric and Densi. Special appearances by Nate Getz.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If you recognize it...I don't own it.

xxxxxx

Sam Hanna leaned back in his desk chair, stretching his arms behind his head to surreptitiously glance towards the OSP sitting area. Nell was still slumped into the cough, cradling a small girl and whispering quietly in her ear. As Callen met his gaze, Sam knew they were thinking the same thing: _How did this get so messed up, so fast?_

The cases that seem the most simple are the ones that bite you back. G had decided that a while ago, and today made Sam inclined to agree with him. It had started as a simple, if heart-wrenching, case. Bad guys break into Navy officer's house after officer drops his kid off at school. Bad guys are surprised to find navy officer has stopped back by the house, and shoot him. Off-duty police sergeant who lives two doors down and across the street from Navy officer hears gunshots, calls for backup, and holds the guys at gunpoint until the cavalry gets there. Bad guys go to boatshed and confess almost immediately. Navy officer goes to hospital and is in medically induced coma but expected to make a full recovery. The entire case was a textbook for law enforcement working exactly as it should.

Until Sam and Callen went to pick up the kid. A little paper-pushing and Hetty-wrath had convinced DHR to give NCIS emergency custody until the dad was out of the hospital. Sam and Callen were dispatched to an elementary school to collect Natalie Swanner, aged 8. That was when everything went straight from textbook to nightmare.

Sam was heading through the school playground toward the office when his trouble alarm went off. Not the "someone is about to start shooting at me" kind of trouble, but the "something is seriously wrong with those people" kind. A glance confirmed G felt it too. The agents glanced around before identifying the source of the nudge; in the far corner of a sports field, a cluster of big, tough-looking boys were encircling a terrified little girl.

Before Sam could even ask Callen if they should do something, his partner was speed-walking across the field. "G!" he hissed.

"What?"

"Don't do anything you'll regret."

He nodded stiffly before squaring up the boys. Unfortunately, the boys apparently had an "I'm being squared up" meter because they promptly scattered, leaving their pint-sized victim nowhere to be seen. A quick glance around confirmed that she must have wriggled into the hedge, and a few seconds later, Sam identified a terrified form near the center of a bush. He knelt down on the turf and pulled his shield off his belt.

Leaning forward to rest on his elbows, Sam quietly greeted the girl. "Hi. Are you okay?"

Head shake from inside the bush.

"I can help you if you can come out. I'm Sam, this is Callen; we're cops." Sam held his shield where it would be visible to the small child.

Slowly, the girl crept out of the hedge, stopping to sit down just under the safety of a few overhanging branches. Sam could see blood oozing from several scratches along her face and arms.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"N-n-natalie," she whispered.

Callen glanced significantly at Sam.

"Are you Natalie Swanner?"

She nodded. "How'd'you know my name?"

Sam grinned inwardly; she was starting to get her confidence back. "We're navy cops."

"NCIS?"

Callen crouched down next to Sam. "Wow, cool, most adults we meet don't even know what NCIS is!"

She grinned brightly, than frowned. "Is daddy OK? He said if anything ever happened that I should always go with the people from NCIS."

"Natalie, your daddy is going to be just fine. Some bad guys came to your house today, and he had to go to the hospital but the doctors said he just needs to sleep for a while. We can go see him tomorrow, but right now we need to get your things and go to NCIS."

"But school's not over yet!"

Callen smirked. "NCIS has its perks."

"Do…do I have to go back to my classroom to get my stuff?"

Callen sighed inwardly. His suspicion that Natalie had snuck off had been correct after all. "It's fine, Sam, all I need is a room number and I can get it."

Natalie looked a little less dejected. "Two ought seven. My locker is two ought seven tango, combination tango alpha November."

"Okay," Sam replied reluctantly, sending out a 'this is not a good idea, G' vibe, "we can go to the office and get Natalie checked out."

Callen slipped quietly to the door of room 207 and knocked sharply. A few seconds later, a young woman appeared inside and opened the door slightly. "Can I help you?"

"Agent G Callen, NCIS," Callen introduced himself softly. "I need to get Natalie Swanner's things."

"Of course, is everything alright?" her teacher asked, concerned.

"Okay," Callen conceded, trying not to make the situation seem too normal. "Her dad got hurt and he's going to be in the hospital for a day or two. We're taking care of Natalie."

"Sure, of course, if you have just a minute I can get her assignments for the rest of the week. Do you want to tell Natalie, or shall I?"

Callen barely resisted a half-smirk. "Actually, she's on the way to the front office right now with my partner."

The teacher looked somewhat shocked, glancing around the room worriedly. She seemingly shook off the feeling, retrieving a few books from an empty desk and placing a folder on top before slipping them in a backpack. "Here you go, Agent Callen, and I do hope everything is fine. Natalie is quite the amazing girl."

"Thank you. I hope to bring her back to class beginning of next week."

The agent slipped down the hall, opening Natalie's locker and retrieving her jacket and what looked like a sports bag. He rejoined Sam and Natalie by the office just as they finished checking out.

Once Natalie was settled in the car, Callen braced himself for the difficult question he had to ask. "Natalie, when Sam and I got there, what was going on with those boys."

"Nothing," came a quiet yet sharp reply.

The tone of the single word told Callen more than a straight answer would have. "Natalie," he asked again, carefully but more firmly, "what were those boys telling you or doing to you."

She apparently settled for stubborn silence.

G inwardly swore at the crampedness of the car that prevented him from making more than fleeting eye contact.

He noticed Sam's stance tighten, and saw in the rearview mirror that Natalie's chin was quivering dangerously. Through a series of looks, gestures, and mouthed words, Sam communicated that she was sitting on the edge of either complete meltdown or tantrum. Neither of which was a good option, given the circumstances, so Callen dropped the subject.

They arrived at Ops a few minutes later, and Natalie sullenly settled into a chair and stuck her nose in a Nancy Drew book from her locker. "Hey, Nell?" Callen inquired quietly.

"Yeah?"

Callen beckoned her over. "When you get pack upstairs, buzz Nate and see when he's available. This just got a whole lot more complicated."

**A/N** Stir plot until thickened. Reviews, please?


	2. Chapter 2

Nell walked past Callen's desk, surreptitiously slipping a piece of paper in with his work as she headed for the sofa, where Natalie was curled up. The analyst quietly sat down a few feet from the young girl, taking a minute to observe her. Natalie had inherited her father's chestnut-brown hair, which fell haphazardly in a longish-pixie or shortish-bob cut. Her piercing green eyes were fixed on her book, ignoring Nell's presence just a little too much. Hetty had already cleaned her fresh scrapes, but Nell noticed Natalie's newest injuries joined with several older scrapes and what looked like a two-week-old skinned shin. Her uniform polo was more than slightly rumpled, haphazardly tucked into chino shorts that partially concealed the young girl's surprising amount of muscle. Her khaki socks wrinkled before disappearing into suede Mary Janes. Somehow, looking at the kid reminded Nell of a comment among the team that while Callen wore a suit, the suit tended to wear Deeks. Come to think of it, the uniform looked as if it was wearing Natalie more than the other way around.

"Hey, Natalie," Nell greeted.

The girl shot her something between a cheeky taunt and an outright glare.

Nell gently reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Natalie."

Natalie shrugged the hand off, continuing to stare defiantly at the book. One glance at her eyes told Nell she wasn't reading, just testing to see how far the analyst could be pushed.

"Do you need a bookmark?" Nell asked cheerfully.

Natalie pressed her lips together before nodding. After a quick trip to her own downstairs desk, Nell handed over a lime-green index card, which Natalie inserted into the book before reluctantly closing it.

"Hi, I'm Nell." Another nod.

"Sam and Callen told me what happened back at your school. We want to help you, but I need you to tell me what was going on."

After a minute, Natalie nodded slowly before scooting closer to Nell.

"Those boys…wanted something I didn't have. Couldn't give it to them, but they said I was lying and they were going to hurt me if I didn't give it to them."

"Did they say…how they would hurt you?"

"In a way nobody else would know," Natalie quoted. "They have lots of people to do their dirty work. They've done it before."

"How long have these boys been threatening you?"

"Them? Only a few days. Their people have been at it all year." And with that, she clearly wanted the conversation over, because Natalie reopened her book and stuck her nose back in it.

Callen beckoned Nell to his desk. "Get anything?"

"Not much. The buys wanted something of hers she didn't have. They threatened to hurt her in a way nobody else would know, and she said they've done it before."

Callen leaned back in his chair, studying the ceiling. This entire situation was just a bit too close to home.

"Am I the only one who thinks that uniform is wearing her?" Nell asked.

"Nope," Callen replied. "It's almost like she's trying to act like something she's not."

"Yeah, I got that feeling too," Sam concurred. "Give her a few minutes and try again, Nell. We need to get to the bottom of this."

"Actually, I was thinking I could talk to her," Kensi cut in. "I have a sorta-idea what's going on."

Nell shrugged. "Be my guest. I'll go ask Nate if he has any insight. Anyone seen Hetty?"

Her inquiry was met with blank looks. "Oh boy," Nell breathed as she turned back to Ops.

xxxxxx

As Natalie finished her book, Kensi slipped over with two chocolate bars and a bottle of water. "Hi, I thought you might want a snack."

Natalie's face lit up as she took a bite of the bar. "Thanks."

"I can get some more if you're still hungry afterwards."

The girl nodded slowly. "I'm pretty hungry. Didn't eat much lunch."

Kensi asked gently, "Any particular reason?"

Natalie shrugged. "Not hungry, I guess. My stomach felt kind of sick at school, but it's better now."

"I was wondering if you might like to play a game. Something we play sometimes on team nights when we all go out to eat."

She shrugged, then smiled a little bit.

Within a few minutes, Kensi had gathered the entire team. "Since Natalie doesn't know the rules, and someone" giving a significant look to Deeks "undoubtedly needs a refresher course, here's how the game works. On your turn, you ask a question, and then everybody else has to answer it. You have to be honest, and no questions involving love lives or anything disgusting." She glared at Deeks.

"You're forgetting the most important rule," Deeks reminded.

"Which is?"

"Kensi always goes first."

Kensi grinned. "Okay, here's the question: if you had a day with absolutely nothing you have to do, what is one thing you would do?"

Deeks was first. "Surfing. Definitely surfing."

"Take my kids to the park," Sam replied.

Callen shrugged. "Probably go with Sam."

"I would surf," Eric concurred with Deeks.

"Ditto," Nell added.

"Skateboard," Natalie replied softly.

"Cool," Deeks told her, "I like skateboarding too! And…the question is…your favorite comfy outfit."

Sam smirked. "Henley and jeans."

"T-shirt and jeans," Callen replied.

"Um, what I'm wearing?" Eric asked. "So, that would be cargo shorts, tee and button down. And flip flops, of course."

"Favorite comfy outfit…hmm, probably track pants and a t-shirt," Nell added.

"T-shirt, hoodie, basketball shorts, and high-tops," Natalie specified.

"Jeans, tank top, and your sweatshirt," Kensi replied with a smirk towards her partner. "Sam, you're up."

"Favorite comfort food."

"Mac and cheese," Callen started.

"Spaghetti," Nell replied.

Eric scratched his chin. "Chicken noodle soup."

"Lasagna," Natalie added.

"Twinkies!"

"Kenz, Twinkies are not a comfort food," Callen replied.

"Says who?"

"Oh, whatever, you two," Deeks cut them off, "pizza."

"Okay," Callen conceded, "Favorite style of music."

"Electronic," Eric replied.

"Country," Nell added.

"Me, too," Natalie followed.

"Techno!" Deeks answered for Kensi, "and R&B for me."

"Rap," Sam finished, "just in case you hadn't figured that out, G."

Eric through for a minute before asking, "Okay, what's your favorite video game?"

Nell sighed. "More specific, Wolfram."

Natalie looked questioningly at Kensi, who rolled her eyes.

"Okay, just a favorite video—"

"game," Nell cut him off, "Assassin's—"

"Creed." Eric finished. "Three, to be specific."

Natalie thought for a minute before replying "Minion Rush."

Kensi smirked. "Connect 4, multiplayer."

Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Against me," Deeks added. "That's mine, too."

"Don't play video games, Eric," Callen replied.

"Only with my kids, so probably Mario Kart Double Dash," Sam finished. "Your turn, Natalie."

"Your favorite part of the day," she inquired.

"When we get off work, and I go home and eat," Kensi replied.

"Early morning, when the waves are great," Deeks countered.

"Anytime someone isn't trying to kill me," Callen deadpanned.

"Eating breakfast with Michelle and the kids," Sam added.

"I'm with Deeks, morning surf," Eric concurred, "but night surfing's great too."

"In the evening when we're all winding down and getting ready to head out, everything's just relaxed and laid back," Nell finished.

"So," Kensi returned to instructing, "the second round is either popcorn or fill in the blank. Popcorn you have to say the first response that you think of, fill in the blank you finish the quote. Natalie, your choice."

"Um, fill in the blank."

"Okay," Kensi started, "Traditional category is movie quotes, you say the type of movie." The agent left out that the looser usually had to buy the next round of drinks. "So, fill in the blank, from a romantic movie, 'Well, I do believe I—'"

"Owe this lady a dance," Nell finished. "Sweet Home Alabama."

"And that is two points for Nell!" Eric announced, taking over his traditional role of scorekeeper.

"Okay," Deeks considered, "'nother romantic movie, but an action scene, 'There's something I ought to tell you. I'm…'"

"Not left handed either," Callen finished. "Have to say, one of the best swordfights in film history, The Princess Bride. Aaand, the line is, from a romantic animated movie, "This is bad. This is bad. This is really, really bad…"

"They just can't get my nose right!" Natalie exclaimed. "Tangled!"

"Do I even want to know how you knew that?" Kensi asked Callen.

"My kids," Sam replied. "I dunno, action? 'If I stare at the post hard enough, it will burst into flames and melt."

"Now I'm concerned on a number of levels." Kensi finished. "Bolt."

Eric scratched his jaw. "Science fiction, "I had forgotten how much I—"

"hate space travel." Nell finished. "Star Wars IV, C3PO. Okay, romantic, 'Probably just some local fisherman—"

"Out for a pleasure cruise at night in eel infested waters," Sam finished. "Also Princess Bride."

"It's a new movie, fairy tale, I guess?" Natalie started. " 'Do you, Anna, take Christoph to be your—"

"trollfully wedded husband," Kensi finished. "Frozen. Game for another round?"

Natalie nodded.

"Musical, 'Moses supposes his toses are roses,'"

"But Moses supposes erroneously," Nell continued, "For nobody's toses are posies of roses as Moses supposes his toses to be. Gotta love Singing in the Rain."

"Okay, this one's action." Deeks followed. " 'I've gotta give you your dream shot. I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going—"

"To Ops," Hetty cut in. "All of you, Nate's waiting."

Natalie poked Deeks in the arm. "You two characters are going to Top Gun," she whispered, smirking.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hi, Natalie, I'm Nate," the psychologist greeted. "I would shake your hand, but unfortunately Hetty's research team still hasn't discovered an effective method of teleportation."

Natalie smirked.

"I'm calling because I'm a doctor, that's why they sometimes call me Doc. I just talked to the doctors who are with your dad. They said he was awake for a few minutes, and said to tell you, quote, "I think it was the actress," end quote, that he loves you and wants to see you tomorrow."

"Tell the doctors that he was right, it was the actress, but the gardener too."

Kensi raised an eyebrow.

"The book," Nell mouthed. Nat had been reading The Mystery of Lilac Inn.

The agent nodded.

"What…what happened to Daddy?"

"Some bad guys tried to break into your house when he was home. Sergeant Wilson arrested them, and they're in jail now."

"But, what happened to Daddy? Why is he in the hospital?"

"One of the bad guys fired a shotgun at him, and some of the pellets hit him in the arm and the chest."

Natalie nodded. "Did they break any ribs?"

"No," Nate replied calmly.

"Good. He broke his ribs, um, three years ago, and I couldn't sit in his lap for a looooooong time because they hurt him."

"His left arm and the left side of his chest are hurt, but nothing's broken. The doctors say you can go see him tomorrow afternoon."

"Does…does he have his gun?"

Nate replied slowly, "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"He said that if someone broke in to always make sure we knew where his gun was, so that he could report it if it was missing."

"How many guns are in your house?" Nate pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Daddy's service gun, which is either on him or under his pillow, the shotgun in the fast safe under his bed, his target rifle, Granddaddy's .22 rifle, and the little shotgun, all in the wall safe."

"Do you know where the wall safe is?"

"In his closet, behind his shoe hanger."

Callen indicated his head to Kensi and Deeks. They nodded and slipped out of Ops.

"Natalie, have you ever touched any of these guns?"

She nodded.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Which one?"

"Do you remember the first time you touched a gun?"

"It was on my birthday, when I turned six. Daddy was cleaning his handgun; he told me I was old enough to learn how guns work and how you are supposed to handle them. He showed me how to clean it and re-assemble. Told me the different parts on the inside, let me hold them, said how important it was to keep a gun clean and put it together right. Then he assembled it, cleared it himself, showed me how to clear it. Taught me rules and had me repeat them until I had them memorized.

He told me it was extra important to be careful with his handgun, because it is always loaded and he keeps a round chambered. Daddy said if anything happened to him and his gun came out of his holster to find a cop or someone in the military and tell them that it was loaded with a round chambered and let them secure it."

Nate asked, "Have you handled any of the other guns?"

Natalie looked at him as if the answer should be obvious. "That was the only time I ever touched his gun. It's too big for me still. I use Granddaddy's little rifle and Daddy bought the .410."

"Do you remember the first time you fired a gun?"

She grinned. "A BB, or for real?"

"We've got time, so, both."

"I shot a BB on my 6th birthday. Daddy has a BB catcher in the basement and uses a conversion kit so he can train with his gun at home with BBs. He had me practice with a lever-action BB rifle. There was a sheet of paper taped up on the wall; Daddy wrote down every time I picked up the rifle, cocked, fired, and secured perfectly. I had to get a hundred before we went to the range with the .22."

Nate knew if Kensi was there, she would be grinning from ear to ear. Natalie's dad sounded a lot like Donald Blye.

"It was right before Christmas when I got a hundred and we went to the range. Daddy inherited Granddaddy's little .22 rifle. It's a single shot bolt action, just like his target rifle. Daddy's required to train one weekend a month with his target rifle, or the one they give him once we get to the range. After then, I would always go with him. He got me a scope for Christmas that year, so I could use the long range. A couple of his friends meet us there, 'cause they're supposed to spot each other, like in gymnastics. Daniel comes with his dad, and we spot for each other."

"How old is Daniel?" Nate asked.

"Um, I think he just turned 11. But his big brother come too, and spots. He's old enough to drive."

Nate mentally wiped his forehead. He hadn't though military snipers would leave a couple of pre-teens live firing in a rifle range, but you never know.

"Okay, Natalie, Kensi and Deeks are going to your house to make sure all your guns are accounted for. I will ask the doctors and make sure your Daddy knows where his handgun is."

"Thank you."

"Hey, Natalie," Sam asked, "do you want to go downstairs and read some more? Hetty said she found a book you would like."

The girl trotted out of Ops eagerly.

"So, Nate, what's your assessment?" Callen asked.

"Well, Natalie seems to be a very precocious child. She seemed rather unwilling to talk at first, you probably noticed that it wasn't until I asked her about shooting that she started opening up."

"We've all tried to get her to tell us what those bullys were after, but she just kinda…shuts down." Callen replied.

"From what she said, we can infer that her father had sniper skills. Eric could probably track down these buddies of his who would meet them at the shooting range."

"On it, Nate," the techie replied.

"Other than that, I don't really have much for you guys to go on. She is very attached to her father, which is understandable since he is her single parent, but I also get the feeling there are a lot of things she feels like she has to hide."

Nell nodded. "I got that idea too."

"There's something else that's bugging me. I can't put a finger on what it is, but there's just something…off."

"Let me know if anything else comes to you," Callen asked.

"Likewise." Nate cut the transmission.

"Yo," Eric answered the ringing phone.

"Hey Eric, all the family's guns are secure except for the commander's handgun, and the sergeant just verified he had it on him at the hospital."

"Thanks Kensi," Callen told her. "Take another look around, there's something not quite right here."

"I was just going to ask if I could," she replied.

"Keep us posted." Callen ended the conversation.


End file.
